Home cookery

When the plain icing is set the cake can be ornamented. For this purpose the icing must be a little stiffer, and sugar must be added till the icing will keep shape. It must be squeezed through a forcer on to the cake. The addition of carmine or cochineal will make it pink. Chocolate Icing- Can be made as above by the addition of some very finely grated chocolate. Coffee Icing Is flavoured by a little very strong coffee or coffee essence. Lemon Water Icing. Icing sugar (sifted) ... J lb. Lemon juice i dessertspoonful. Water tablespoonfuls. Put these into a small bright pan. Melt the sugar, but do not let it boil. When it is of the consistency of thick cream, pour it over the cake. Orange Icing. Make like lemon water icing, but use sufficient orange juice to dissolve the sugar, and no water. Add a very little orange colouring. Coffee Icing- May be made in the same manner, using one tablespoonful of coffee essence, and one tablespoonful of water. Other icings may be made in the same way, using noyeau, maraschino, or other liquor instead of lemon juice. Chocolate Icing Is made by adding two tablespoonfuls of grated chocolate to half a pound of icing sugar, and sufficient water to melt it. Finish as for Lemon Water Icing. Jam, Jelly, &c. In making Jam the following rules should be observed : The fruit must be gathered dry. The fruit must be slowly boiled before adding the sugar, and quickly boiled afterwards. Jam must be carefully stirred with a wooden spoon, and not allowed to burn. It must be put into dry pots, and kept in a dry place. Raspberry or Strawberry Jam. To each pound of fruit allow one pound of white sugar. Put the fruit into a bright pan, let it boil ten minutes. Before the fruit is put on the fire, put the sugar in a tin or old dish, and let it get quite hot in the oven, but do not let it burn or brown. When it is hot add gradually to the fruit ; stir well, let it boil ten minutes. Put it into pots. When cold cover with thin paper soaked in vinegar, and tie or twist it down. Plum, Currant, and Gooseberry Jam. These jams are made in the same manner as raspberry and strawberry, but need longer boiling before the sugar is added, about half an hour. Gooseberry jam does not require so much sugar ; three-quarters of a pound to one pound of gooseberries is quite sufficient. Red Currant Jelly. Take red currants, and some white ones (as they improve the colour of the jelly), bake in an earthenware jar till all the juice is extracted, strain, and to each pint of juice add one pound of lump sugar. Stir till it boils, then, when it boils, put in half a cup of cold water. Boil for about twenty minutes, not more, and take off the scum as it rises. Try the jelly from time to time by running' a little on a cold plate to see whether it will set. As soon as it is quite clear and will set, put it into small moulds. If jelly is over-boiled it becomes like treacle, and will never set. Gooseberry Jelly. Gooseberries (gathered when just beginning to turn colour) I gallon. Water 2 quarts. Lump sugar. Boil the gooseberries in the water to a pulp. Strain through a jelly bag. To every pint of juice put one pound of sugar. Boil till it will set and is quite clear. This is a good substitute for red currant jelly. Marmalade. Seville oranges 12. Lemons 2.